Morocco’s Afrikayna bridges music industries of North and sub-Saharan Africa at ACCES 2019

Afrikayna, through its Africa Art Lines mobility fund, seeks to encourage creative projects between Morocco and the rest of the African continent, grow audiences and promote participation in the development of the arts on the continent while conveying the values of diversity and intercultural dialogue through the arts.

The Moroccan delegation travelling to ACCES 2019 comprises Boulevard Festival co-founder Hicham Bahou, Visa For Music director Brahim El Mazned, Minority Globe founder Reuben Yemoh Odoi and Afikayna chairperson Ghita Khaldi.

Bahou will feature as a speaker on a panel discussion titled Alternative Music Platforms and Circuits for African Music where he will join musician Wanlov the Kubolor (Ghana), Nyege Nyege Festival co-founder Derek Debru (Uganda), UMG Nigeria country coordinator and Harmattan Rain founder Benewaah Boateng (Ghana), and the founder of the Women In Music Forum, Christine Kamau (Kenya), who will moderate the session. The discussion will take place at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences on 30 November at 3.50pm.

El Mazned will take part in the ACCES 2019 speed networking session, featuring specially picked networkers representing the various areas of the music business worldwide. Some of the networkers confirmed ahead of the music trade event include musician Matchume Zango (Mozambique), Show-me project manager and music journalist Elisabeth Stoudmann (France), Moshito Music Conference general manager Sinamandla Kwepile (South Africa), Pro Helvetia music programme manager Germaine Gamiet (South Africa), Ditto Music regional manager for Africa Wendy Verwey Bekker (South Africa), Night School founder and CEO Antje Grothe (Germany) and Ketebul Music founding executive director Tabu Osusa (Kenya), among many others.

Odoi and Khaldi will participate in various other ACCES 2019 activities.

ACCES is Africa's leading music business conference that takes place in a different African city every year. The event is carefully designed for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages. The 2019 edition takes places at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Alliance Française and The Goal Coast Hub.

The conference's networking sessions provide the perfect opportunity for delegates to meet musicians, publishers, distributors, event organisers, artists managers and record label executives to explore future collaborations and build new partnerships. This year's session takes place the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences on Saturday 30 November at 12.30pm.

Registration to attend ACCES 2019 is mandatory. African delegates register for free.

About Afrikayna

Afrikayna was founded by Ghita Khaldi in 2013. The organisation seeks to promote intercultural exchange, development and cooperation in Africa through the Africa Art Lines mobility fund, which aims to support artists and holders of inter-African artistic and cultural projects. The fund also ensures a better presence of Moroccan artists on the continent, enables creatives to host African artists and projects in Morocco, encourages creative projects between Morocco and other countries on the continent, promotes participation in the development of the arts in Africa, and conveys the values of diversity and intercultural dialogue through the arts.

About ACCES

ACCES is a pan-African trade event for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages. ACCES is held in a different African city every year, attracting active music industry players from across the globe.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership and with the support of Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut, Reeperbahn Festival International, Alliance Française, BMG, Media Sound Hamburg, the Multimedia Group, Africa Art Lines, Afrikayna, the Gold Coast Hub, the Year of Return, the Prince Claus Fund and the ANT Mobility Grant from Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

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